Saturday, July 31, 2010 — Amazing Events

Steve and I arrived this morning and began donning the yellow gowns required by Skip's isolation due to the C. diff infection. As soon as we were fully robed the nurse entered and said the patient had tested negative for the infection for four days now and that we could discard the hot old gowns and gloves. Also planned, she explained, was a trip sometime today to a new room because they would scrub this one down completely to receive the next patient requiring isolation. The "lift team" came to clean Skip's bed and turn him to a more comfortable position. Just before we left the room, Skip turned his head to me and uttered "Happy Anniversary." I have been so focussed and preoccupied with his condition that I had completely spaced the fact that today is indeed the 55th anniversary of our marriage. You could have knocked me over with a feather. Here I thought he was still a bit "out to lunch," and in fact, in some ways he still is, but.......... his inner calendar, memory and clock are obviously working just fine. Whew! We retired to the waiting room for a short stay during which Mike, Jenny and Leah arrived. When we returned to the room we found the patient comfortably sleeping. So we went down to the shaded courtyard to partake of a delicious chicken and vegetables lunch Jenny had prepared.

When we went back up to the room, guess what? We were directed to his new room, located across from the nurses' station. We walked in and much to our amazement, there sat Skip, upright in a wheelchair with Renie Oschin standing and talking to him. As far as we know, this was the first time he had sat upright without the help of the physical therapist's strong arms to support him. He looked rather startled himself so we asked him if he needed some help holding his head and shoulders up. He promptly accepted our offer and began to lean on us and relax ....... and look just a bit proud of himself.

His lunch soon arrived and we helped him with it, but more and more he took over the feeding and drinking process. As many of you know, Skip is not really a big eater, but he downed a whole fruit smoothie and some solids that may keep him from having to have the feeding tube reinserted. Let's hope so. Renie had retired to a seating area down the hall and she came back just as lunch was winding down and the dialysis nurse was setting up for the mid-afternoon session. The news now is that he will go without dialysis tomorrow and if it works, they'll begin to do it just once every other day. He shows some signs of producing urine on his own so keep up all your good thoughts, prayers and vibrations. We're sure it helps. And Jan and Jeff, we did apply a warm towel pack this morning to his kidney area and received all sorts of enthusiasm for trying it from the OT. Thanks for everything you've done and suggested.

As we were leaving, Skip received a phone call from an MLPA collegue. Steve conversed with her and explained that Dad couldn't speak very loudly or clearly yet but that perhaps in just a few days it would be better. I could see that Skip wanted to say hello to her so I turned the phone over to him. The dialysis nurse almost keeled over when she heard how fantastically he rose to the occasion and held quite a conversation. We were all again amazed!

The "hospitalist" (hospital floor doctor) came in and talked with Skip and then retired to the hall to speak with Steve and me. She is a bright, kind and thoughtful woman who first made it clear to us that Skip was safely out of the woods and we would soon be discussing a physical therapy venue and program along with whatever amount of dialysis he might still need. THEN she minced no words in telling us that it is nothing short of a MIRACLE that he survived this dreadful ordeal.

Frliday, July 30, 2010 — Eating and Talking!

Well, we always knew he was a tough guy. He is not too taken with food but he is eating some and each time he partakes, his mouth and facial muscles become more natural looking. His expressions and eye movement are a thrill to behold. I've always said that "normalcy" would be the one thing I would wish for most if I were to become physically compromised. Any sign of normalcy with Skip seems to be the thing that thrills me most now.

Besides the dialysis nurse plus machine he is receiving daily visits by a physical therapist and an occupational therapist. They are both great and are constantly striving to help Skip take noticeable steps forward. It's going to be slow on all fronts but it appears that some progress will take place each day.

Several thanks to give: Shozo, you are such a dear. A million thanks.

Bill, the same goes for you. Hope Skip is awake when we're both there so I can properly introduce him to his "registered nag" from down the hall who played such a huge roll in getting him up the hall. Thanks for checking in on him in the middle of the night.

Peter, Donald and company for featuring the boule notice with those great pics of Skip this last week. He will really appreciate that in his modest way a few days from now.

Today Mike, Chuck, Steve and I have all been there cheering him on just like a tournament event. Mike showed him a great Berlitz ad featured on YOUTUBE and he really laughed for the first time in some weeks. Music to my eyes and ears.

Thursday, July 29, 2010 — Ups and downs, but mostly ups!

It's a scary thing this transition from ICU to a regular room on the same floor. All in all it's definitely a positive end of the day. Communication with the staff increased as the day progressed and everything finished on a very positive note. Steve arrived at about 9:30 this evening and was able to meet the competent nurse Skip has tonight.

In the nutshell: Skip has been suffering from an infection which is not uncommon when the big gun antibiotics are being used. The big guys kill off some of the good bacteria which allows this condition to weasel its way in. It is referred to as C. diff and affects the digestive tract. So we have been required to wear gowns and gloves every time we go into his room. One of the plusses for this evening is that he has just been declared free of C. diff. Yay! The other monumental plus is that I was able to feed him some real food this evening. He ate at least one spoonful of everything on the tray. Another yay! The crew is especially good tonight so I think I may get a real night's sleep for a change.

Let's just skip the downs during the morning and mid-day and concentrate on those two wonderful plusses. Steve is here with me and we'll try to have a good meeting with the kidney doctor tomorrow. In the meantime — think pee! Good night y'all.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 — Careful what you wish for.

Of course we've been dreaming of the day when Skip would be out of ICU because it would mean that his condition would be significantly improved. Out of the blue, we arrived this morning to find out the move was about to happen. Skip's numbers were all so improved they were calling for the change. We were thrilled at the news and spent our time in the third floor waiting room and paying quickie visits to the new room as they scrubbed the walls and prepared the space for this "very important person." The room is tiny but has a great window looking to the southwest sky with evergreen trees in the foreground.

When we finally got the word that the move had taken place, we rushed to make at least eye contact with the patient through the room 319 door window. They evidently were preparing for today's dialysis to begin and there obviously wasn't going to be room for us. So I waved to Skip, threw him a kiss and poked my head around the door far enough to tell him we'd be down in the courtyard having lunch.

When we returned to the third floor we walked by the room and saw that the dialysis nurse was setting up for the next three hours. A high old time was spent in the waiting room with Elena holding forth instructing and overseeing a very complex origami construction of a healing ball for a young man in ICU whose fiance had sat with us the day before and shared the story of her life with Brandon. He was losing the use of his very brittle lungs. She said she'd pray for Skip and we said we'd pray for Brandon. Elena of course wouldn't stop there. She immediately began choosing the matching pairs of paper squares that were needed for one of her amazing healing balls. It would take all cousins present plus one Mama Kathy to fold the elements. It is still an object in the making. Progress report to come.

When five o'clock finally came we screwed up enough courage to check in with the dialysis nurse who was organizing all her equipment in preparation for an exit. We finally had the object of our desires to ourselves. We had a good little visit but it was clear that what he really needed was to just close his eyes and rest. We told him we'd go for dinner and return after the nurses made their shift change. After dinner at a great new cafe, for us, with a menu as long as the day, we returned to the third floor to meet the new night nurse in the land outside of the warm and highly attentive ICU where we had allowed ourselves to feel so secure. The next half hour we'll leave to your imagination. There had been a fibrulation event and the "lift team" was in the room with the day nurse, all moving around quickly and preparing for the change of the guard. Skip's dexterity is not yet up to snuff so we were a bit worried about how he could draw attention to himself if he didn't have a remote with something he could identify and also press in the right spot. The pleasant new night nurse who was still having to figure out what Skip's particulars were, answered our plea for something for him to find and press more easily. She located a snap like glue-on square to tape over the red spot. He tried it out and managed to press it. We lightened up a bit. Chuck and Leah had to depart for Berkeley and Kathy sent Larkin and Elena out to prepare for leaving. Kathy and I lingered on, dispensing ice chips, looking meaningfully at each other and stalling until we saw Skip's eyelids drooping. We announced our departure. We left via the central office, offering our cell phone numbers to the nice nurse at the counter and getting her to tell us where Skip's bells and whistles would show up on their panel of blinking lights.

So begins the night of our dreams. We're sure he'll be fine but we both checked to make sure we had that unit's number ready to call early tomorrow morning. Off to bed.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 — A quiet fruitful day

The constantly humming and strumming CRT dialysis that provided gentle 24/7 kidney aid is out of the room and a new, honking sized conventional machine came in for three hours with its own nurse attendant. Besides the machine doing its job in a somewhat more powerful manner, the nurse also gave Skip two more units of blood to boost his strength. Machine and companion said their goodbyes and promised that "someone" would be back for a repeat performance tomorrow. You can always count on a few open questions regarding personnel. Such suspense.

Skip is definitely progressing. His color is good, his muscles respond better than yesterday and his eyes open very wide if possibly startled once in a while. The physical therapist came today to begin some formal movement regimen. I couldn't get myself to be there at that time. So afraid it was going to really hurt. But I'm told he was able to have his legs hang over the bedside and stayed there with some support for an admirable length of time. His sympathetic nurse of today kept asking if he was in pain. Whenever he said yes and the timing was right she gave him some morphine. Definitely my drug of choice in the case of extreme pain. But while I was there he answered the question with a "no" which I think was a good idea. It's a bit of a tight rope walk to hit that right balance. I think he'll begin to self regulate because he'll be wanting to come further out of the fog.

Elena and Larkin will stay in Richmond tomorrow night and return Thursday to the mountains in order to be on the job at Echo Lake Friday. Our grandchildren have been such steadfast supporters and it's been important for them to see their grandfather making these amazing strides forward. I'll never forget how great they and their parents have been. Between them and all of you checking in with your caring messages, this has been much easier on me than it might have been.

Monday, July 26, 2010 — A red letter day!

These are the highlights of the momentous things that occurred today: The sedative was discontinued early in the morning. The ventilation tube was removed from Skip's throat and mouth two hours later. The nurse said Skip handled this difficult situation beautifully. About an hour and a half after that he began to speak. When the kids came into the room he held the palms of his hands up, opened his eyes and mouth wide and said "Hi." Envision a "Grandpa Scarecrow." One of the next things he said was, "I need to move." I could have predicted that. He joked with Elena, spoke in Spanish and made a funny face at Larkin. He asked Leah how long it would be before she would be leaving for England and he told Steve someone needed to be up at the cabin on Saturday, July 31 for a Forest Service cabin inspection that had been announced to us a month ago by letter. We think we can safely say he's all there!

Steve was in the room in the late afternoon when they disconnected the CRT full time dialysis machine which had worked so hard 24/7 to detoxify Skip's blood. Tomorrow they will wheel in the big machine which will be used for intermittent dialysis probably three hours a day at the beginning.

It is apparent that his throat is still very sore from the ventilation tube, so after taking a much sought after ice chip, he winces when it gets low in his throat. Right from the get go he began pleading for leg movement. He had Larkin, Elena or Steve moving his legs up and down and as each group came in the room the chore fell to them. When Chuck entered the room for the first time Skip asked him about some papers they had been discussing weeks earlier. Steve said he heard his dad asking the nurse how the dialysis machine works and if osmosis is involved.

When Mike and I returned early in the evening from Fort Bragg Skip gave us a big smile and when I held his hand he was able to really squeeze it and wouldn't let go of it. He kept whispering that movement was his greatest wish. So I have a hunch he's going to be an ideal patient for physical therapy since he's already self initiating all kinds of movement on his own and with the help of others.

You might say that this is a group of very happy campers. We're thrilled thinking of bringing Skip home to work his way back to a normal life. I can see him walking around the porch which Harry and Stefan improved so beautifully. How good can it get?

Sunday, July 25, 2010— Back to the roller coaster

I was called late last night by Skip's night nurse. She said I needed to sign a release early the next morning for the surgical team to do a procedure that would create a new shunt for the dialysis tubes. Steve and I arrived just before 8:00, I signed and Skip was prepared for the trip down to surgery on the first floor. We waited while they took him downstair. He wasn't in the operating room more than a few minutes before an emergency heart attack victim was brought in and it was necessary to postpone the job and send Skip back up to his third floor ICU room. Of course we understood the need for the reprioritizing but Steve and I felt badly for Skip and wondered when they would be on track again. At 12:00 noon they came to fetch us and announced that he was on his way down again. We were to meet them at the elevator then walk down the stairs to meet them and follow to the same operating room he had been in earlier. I held his hand and told him what was about to happen. His eyes tried to open, I think he squeezed my hand slightly and off he went. Chuck, Leah and Mike arrived shortly before the job was completed and we all met his gurney as it was wheeled out of the room. Everything had gone well and we gathered for lunch while he was taken back upstairs. All the tubes were reconnected and he was settled in with one more hurdle behind him.

We ate lunch and returned to the third floor to say goodbye because I planned to drive this afternoon to Fort Bragg so I could take care of some essential business Monday morning. While checking out the new shunt I noticed that Skip had developed a rash on his arms and legs.

It appeared to be a reaction to one of the antibiotics and there were evidently discussions as to whether or not to discontinue the suspected offender. We had to leave before any of this was resolved and I must admit to being worried about how serious this might be. Mike joined me for the trip to Fort Bragg and just after we arrived we received a phone call from Leah saying that the disease specialist said not to worry about the rash and that they would be able to deal with it. Another Whew! I will be so relieved when they take all the tubes out and Skip will be able to open his eyes and speak. That's all I can think about.

But before I sign off, here are the good parts of the day's ride. His blood pressure is excellent, the white cell count fell to 14,000, platelets didn't fall much (but a little), lung exray continued to show a little less fluid and he shows that he can breath by himself. Probably next week they will take him off of the continuous dialysis and put him on intermittent dialysis thanks to the successful noon hour procedure and his continued improvement. The kidney doctor says he has an eighty percent chance of the kidneys returning to normal. They'll also take the tubes out of his throat and nose. He should be one much improved man by the end of next week. I was also thrilled to be united with our dogs who had been staying in Richmond while I've been at the motel. Kathy brought them up and Mike and I drove them to Fort Bragg where they nearly went crazy with joy at being home in their yard. Sandra will be spending evenings with them for the next two weeks so they 'll be happy.

Thanks for all your wonderful wishes and prayers and particular thanks to Lotus for the special potions she is creating to help heal Papa Skip.

Saturday, July 24, 2010 — A very good day!

Yes, I'm almost afraid to say it again, but this has been a very good day. All the numbers are going in the right direction and Skip's primary Sutter doctor who is not prone to exageration, to put it mildly, said that his condition is a thousand percent better than the last time he saw him a few days ago. Whew! And I do know there can be reversals etc., etc., but I can't help myself. We've been telling the sleeping patient all day that things are really looking up. Actually the patient had a half hour "sedation vacation." Kath and I were warned that this trial time off of the sedation so that they could also let him breath for himself might not be a pretty scene but we said we were ready for it and stayed. As he woke up his arms tried immediately to start pulling out the tubes that enter his nose and his mouth, his number one "enemies" in his mind. They do make him feel the pain of having them there and toward the end the nurse, Kristen, gave him a blessed dose of morphine. During the test, Kathy and I held his hands down away from his face so that they wouldn't have to restrain him. The doctor came in and did a few action orders which Skip answered with the proper movements including wiggling his toes. The test was declared a big success by all and then they put him to sleep again. One more Whew!

As to the numbers, here are a few good ones. White blood cell count down to 16,000. Platelet count up to 160. Still off the blood pressure medicine. His skin continues to look better each day. And another good doctor comment: The kidney doctor says Skip has an eighty percent chance of getting his kidney function back. So now you can understand why we can't help being elated.

Steve has become our daily case manager. He's not intimidated by anyone and loves to ask questions so we just let him do it. All three of our children, their spouses and Chuck and our grandchildren have been amazing with their almost all day visits to Santa Rosa. Sometimes Jenny arrives with gorgeous home prepared food which we eat in the shaded courtyard between the wings of the hospital. The same is true of Danny who had to return to Trinidad last night to take care of their dog but who calls in several times a day. One last bit of family news: I am much better and was obviously able to be at the hospital today. Thanks for all your good wishes.

I hate to sound like a broken record but just about every day I receive another testimonial about people's positive experiences with their or a loved one's stay at Sutter Medical Center. It is so reenforcing of our own experience here. They are bringing our Skip back to us one step at a time and we love them for it. Your emails and blog comments are also helping us so much to cope with the daily stress. Thank you, dear, dear friends and family.

Friday, July 23, 2010 — Feels like a turn around day!

Even though I’m not sporting a totally clear head yet, I can grasp the fact that we are finally at some kind of a turning point. At least it feels like we are. I can’t go to the hospital today because I’m evidently still contagious. But the reports that have come tumbling into my motel room are almost a hundred percent positive. The blood pressure medicine has been halted and returned several times. Now halted. The doctors say that is strictly par for the course as they do the delicate balancing act of removing things from the regime. — All headed in the right direction. The white count continues to decrease slowly and the platelet count goes up. Hurray! The new bed which I have not yet seen, seems to be a big hit with the kids. It has air circulating subtly through the last layer and the mattress itself is an air mattress. All of this is supposed to act as a deterrent to damaging the skin.

Kathy went this morning to a nice little clinic that gave her a complete checkup and strep test. As she was leaving, the doctor decided to give her a prescription to use if she started having any new symptoms even though her test came out negative. She wasn’t back at the motel for ten minutes before the clinic doctor called her to say that she had been watching the test strip very closely since Kathy left and that she was beginning to see a faint line. Because of that she urged Kathy to begin the antibiotic. Honestly, we have encountered the most caring people here from the moment we arrived. It’s truly heart warming and does a lot toward keeping us in a positive mood.

One of the doctors here continues to describe himself as very conservative in his actions and I’m absolutely fine with that. He believes in taking each step very slowly and when in doubt, waiting a day to progress onto the next change in the protocol. Yet when any kind of a downturn occurs, they are right there to deal with it. Definitely inspires confidence. I don’t have any idea how much of this Skip will be aware of when he awakens. Possibly none of it. So maybe the blog will also serve as a chronicle for him to peruse when he has the stomach for it.

I’m sure that when he is back with us and hears how close to leaving us he was, he’ll be as grateful as I am for all the skillful care he has received.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Every day there is something new. This evening they installed a new air bed for Skip which is longer and meant to protect him from some of the problems of the prolonged stay. I believe this was instigated by Bill, one of the night nurses who is particularly caring about Skip's comfort.

The platelet count continues to rise which is a thrill to all of us. Today they were also able to totally withdraw the blood pressure medication. If this works for a period of time it will lead to the use of more limited dialysis. His lungs still have some fluid but are looking good according to the doctors. His white count continues to drop by small increments.

On the down side, but not for long, I was diagnosed with the same strep type Skip has been fighting. They have started me on a potent antibiotic which they feel will knock it out within five days. Fortunately I got to an urgent care facility soon enough to catch it at an early stage. Throat is sore but should be vastly improved by tomorrow morning I am told. Kathy is going to get checked early tomorrow morning at a clinic. Cross your fingers for her.

The family is slowly getting to know their way around Santa Rosa just a bit. It's nice to have other people writing in and telling us what a great place Sutter Hospital is. We totally agree and feel very fortunate that we're here. This is probably a good time for me to back up just a bit though and give a big thanks to the doctors and nurses in ICU in Fort Bragg. They did a heroic job just keeping Skip alive before he was flown to Santa Rosa. Also deserving a big thanks is the ER in Fort Bragg. Skip might well not have survived that morning we arrived if it hadn't been for Travis, the triage nurse who attended him minute by minute until he was moved to the ICU late in the day. Thanks Sue and Karen also.

Our children and grandchildren have been traveling up and down from Richmond each day since we arrived. Larkin drove to Fort Bragg with his Dad Tuesday and took his driving test yesterday morning just the day before his learner's permit expired. Eric was wonderful to fit him in on a special need basis and we're thrilled because he passed and can drive to Echo Lake all on his own. He's a great driver, but that doesn't help if you don't have that piece of paper. Good job Larkin. The kids will return to Echo and their jobs probably next Tuesday. Get ready for them Echo Lake.

Thanks so much to those who continue to write comments and send emails. We really appreciate them. xox to all, Jackie

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

All in all this has been a pretty good day. Kathy had a talk with our friends Kat and Tom Fashinell, cardiologist and nurse and owners of Echo Chalet. What a satisfying feeling to air our concerns and have them tell us that it sounds like all is perfectly on track with the protacal they would approve of. We feel so fortunate that Sutter Medical Center has such state of the art equipment, topnotch doctors and the best performing nurses we have ever encountered. These nurses are universally humane, thoughtful and really know their business. Skip is watched by at least one nurse 24/7 because he is being administered so many meds, feeding tube, respiratory aid and particularly tubes to and from an amazing dialysis machine that must be responded to any time there is movement by Skip's body and for many other reasons. Bells are going off here and there and these pros know what buttons to push and what to type in to each screen to set it all right. Wife and daughter have developed very warm and appreciative feelings for two of these nurses in particular. Kathy, a day nurse who really knows her stuff after 40 years of nursing, and Bill, a night nurse who is also highly competent and concerned with Skip's comfort. I must mention the first two nurses who admitted him last Friday. Joycelyn and Rebecca welcomed us into the ICU and went out of their way to explain everything they were doing and planned to do. Chris, in that unit answered all your calls until we set up the blog and never complained.

Yesterday and today our granddaughter Elena along with her cousin Leah, have been making all sorts of parts for origami healing balls under Elena's knowing guidance. Elena is our Queen of Origami and does something suitable for any occasion. Eventually, when Skip is taken off the sedative, he is going to wake up to a well ornamented room.

The good news medically for today is that Skip's platelet count almost doubled since yesterday. That is something the disease doctor was worried about, so we're quite excited to have that improvement. He opened one eye almost a quarter and moved his mouth this evening and you could see that he wanted to express himself. We've been told by all that this will be a very slow process so we're preparing ourselves for ups and downs and a slow journey to wellness. We can't even begin to tell you how much all of you emails have meant to us. We'll save them and present them to Skip when he's up and reading. Thank you one and all from the bottom of our hearts.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Well folks, this has been another roller coaster day in the life of the patient. For some reason he was moved to the third floor ICU in the middle of the night. The good news is that it's a beautiful room with windows on the south and west sides. And as if that weren't enough, it boasts a lovely mural featuring rolling wine country hills. Looks like the drive up Dry Creek road or some of the scenes we saw in Tuscany. I was told it was once a room for children in ICU. The room is large and we wonder if they moved him because of the numbers of next of kin Wollenbergs who troop through the department every day.

In the numbers department, the white count rose to 20,000 and the platelet count is not up to what it should be but the liver continues to improve. The nutrition IV came out today and they inserted a feeding tube this afternoon which will probably begin sending nourishment that way and hopefully begin to reactivate his digestive system.

Kathy took on the whole institution for a few moments after an unfamiliar doctor came through and made discouraging comments well within Skip's earshot in his room. Kath came zipping out to me as I waited with our granddaughter Elena and told me exactly what she had witnessed and urged me to go to the scene of the crime. As I went past the desks I had a serious discussion about it with a lovely woman in charge of Skip's respiration. She more than agreed and said she'd have a word with all concerned. In the meantime Kathy returned to the room and cornered the perpetrator in the hall. She explained that we are quite sure that he hears everything! And that we won't tolerate negative remarks or anything else that will cause anxiety and have a depressing effect on his psyche. So there! By the time I got back there it was all taken care of and I'm sure the word has spread to be careful around "those two women."

We received a wonderful visit by one of the Saphire group of the MLPA, Brandi Easter, on her way up to this week's meeting in Fort Bragg. I know this was a plus for his spirits. Thank you for your messages, the lovely flowers from the Saphire Group and words of encouragement. We love you all.

Monday, July 19, 2010

It's been a long day today. When we first arrived at the hospital this morning the nurse said it had been a rough night. Skip's vitals went up and down and he was very restless. As the morning progressed, however, things got better. His numbers began going down and we have finished the day with significant improvement. His white count is down to 1300 and his liver function is almost normal.

Our kids have been wonderful about being here and supporting both of us. We really think Skip hears us to some degree even though he is sedated. We have noticed that if someone says something with a down side his pulse changes and when something encouraging is said, the graph changes for the better. He's like a weather vein. We truly appreciate all of your calls and I apologize for not being able to answer the phone when you call. I can't have my cell phone turned on in the ICU so I hope this blog will help to keep us connected. Love to all, Jackie

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Amazingly, one night after receiving the first nutrition, Skip's digestive system showed the first signs of functioning. When the sedation weakened Skip began to respond to questions with nods of the head, momentary partial eye openings and general awareness. He also showed considerable discomfort so the nurses upped the sedative dosage again and he went back to sleep.

The staff here is superb and very thoughtful and welcoming to Skip's whole family for which we are really grateful. It looks like it's going to be a long journey between now and achieving the ending of the sepsis state of the infection and the reactivation of the kidneys. Doctors and nurses all seem to think that the kidneys will eventually begin to function again.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

The day was an up and down holding pattern. A great nurse named Kathy used everything at her disposal to make Skip comfortable. Since arriving at Sutter, Skip was kept sedated to keep him comfortable and to keep him from removing various feeding, medicine, and breathing tubes. That night he began receiving a nutritional IV.

Friday, July 16, 2010

It became apparent that Skip's kidneys were in a totally failed condition and that he would need to be moved by helicopter to Santa Rosa where dialysis could take place.

He was admitted to ICU at Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa. The trip from Fort Bragg appeared to weaken his condition. Doctors at Sutter began all measures to stabilize his condition. When Jackie arrived Friday evening the doctor was not encouraging. After the dialysis was set up and new antibiotics were administered his condition began to improve.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Fort Bragg ICU continued its efforts to stabilize his condition.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Skip was admitted to the ICU at Fort Bragg hospital with a very high fever and Sepsis Strep infection. His kidneys and digestive system had shut down. He began strong antibiotics in an effort to stabilize him.